Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1887-02-10
For the Ellsworth American,
Sketches of the Early History of Bluehlll
with Notes and Incidents of Later
Period.
No. ..

No. >.
As before stated the first white settlement
in Bluehll was made in 1862, April :. when
Joseph Wood and John Roundy came from
Beverly, Mass. and landed near the Falls
The next year they brought their families
each having wife and six children. The
place was first called East Audover, then
Newport, but was not incorporated until
1889 when it took lis present name.
-Four or five wears after their arrival Mr..
Wood said to Mr.. Roundy, Il hore We shall
live to see pioughing in this town yet TO
which Mr.. Roundy replied Il shall not
visa to live any longer than 10 that time
This incident indicates the dark prospects
before them, yet Mr.. Koundy lived 10 see
many fields under good cultivation which at
that time were covered with dark and
/ dense forest.
The third family was formed by the mar
riage of Col Nathan Parker from Andoyer,
with the eldest daughter Of Mr., Wood.
Subsequently there soon followed other
| families BY the name of Foster, Holt, Dar-
/ ling, Osgood and Coggins. In three years
after the coming Of Messrs. Wood aud
/ Roundy nine families had come to this place.
/ But what sort of men and women were
these That they must have been robust,
hardy and resolute race seems very evident
or they never would have undertaken 10
rear and TO support families on The rugged.
| hard soil of this town, in a climate so severe
and uninviting and so far removed from the
I privileges Of christian civilization. We ad-
( mire their pluck anu have no small respect
+ for their sinewy arms and muscular powers
and most worthily and successfully did they
ply the energies with which Heaven had en-
dowed Them; and soon the wilderness be-
came fruitful fields and smiling habnalons
adorned the landscape and became the
| homes Of domestic bliss.
/ But wha, were the moral stamina Of these
pioneers? They had been reared in the old
towns of the Bay S,ate-under the influence
I of the schools and religious institutions Of
/ the Puritan preachers of the day. and they
I brought with them high respect for the
I Bible, the Sabbath ard the Christian minis
/ try-iheir value and importance in the right
Y training Of their families hence We find them
taking early measures 10 secure the preach
/ ing of the gospel.
/ In 1868, only six Years after the wood
mans axe was first heard in their forests,
We find in their town records the following
vote ITO raise money TO hire person for
to preach the gospel 10 US and for 10 pay his
board" In the call for this meeting they
/ assign as a reason for raising the money,
$50 that We may not bring up our children
/ like the heathen.'
In about ten years after the arrival Of the
first settlers the Congregational church was
formed Oct. :, l772, They were assisted
in this service by the Rev. Daniel Little, a
missionary from Wells. The reasons they
assign for entering into a church state, and
the confession and covenant adopted are
deeply interesting. I'VE whose names are
underwritten, being by the Providence OF
God, ct very great distance from the
Christian societies to which We formerly be-
onged, and more than hundred miles from
any church, think it our duty To form INTO q
church state" The nearest church at that
time was at Phippsburg, the next nearest at
Brunswick The church in Bluehill was the
twenty-fourth Congregational church in the
State.
The confession of faith and covenant
adopted at that early day are blended in one
document. They are highly evangelical and
they pledge the members to holy life and
close with the following prayer ''NOw may
the gracious and glorious covenant keeping
God forgive US all our offences, assist US
and bless US in this, our covenant, and ac-
cept US, now and forever, in Jesus Christ
our Lord, amen" This document was
signed by eight men and the wives of six Of
them were voted into the privileges and un'
der the watch of the church.
Thus the little church of fourteen mem.
bers was launched upon the stormy ocean oI
life, and destined to meet pretty full share
of the conflicts and trials incident to the
church militant; and still destined to be q
light and blessing to this community.
1t has already been stated that prior to
this means had been taken to procure
preaching part Of the time. On the record:
of the church are found the names of no less
than twelve ministers who had labored with
the people prior to the coming of the Rev
Mr.. Fisher, who first arrived at this place
June II, 1894. He arrived the second time
July s, 1875 and remained hll Oct 81
During this visit he received a call to settle
az the pastor of the church and people. Nov
27, he gave an affirmative answer.
The conditions of settlement seem to US
at this day, quite peculiar. The compensa
ton agreed upon was as follows: "Tht
possession of the first minister's lot, of three
hundred acres of wild land, two hundred
dollars in cash and barn forty feet by
thirty as a settlement. For annual sslar,
two hundred dollars in cash, the clearing Of
Ave acres Of land and cutting and hauling
! fifteen cords of wood annually for salar,